In daytime, we saw a fireball the size of the full moon, orange, with flames, moving slowly, standing still, something falled from it.

I was outside with my older brother, on the farm. Our parents where in town for a few hours. I was 11 years old and him 17.
In mid-afternoon, around 2 pm, we suddenly saw that orange big ball of fire in the sky, moving slowly, towards west.
It was the size of the full moon. It was yellowish. Then, as if the fireball knew we were looking at her, it changed direction and came towards us, directly toward us, and stopped. I had that weird feeling that it was looking at us.
The size had now increased a bit (it was closer to us), and it was now more orange. We could see like mini flames all around it. It was almost as bright as the Sun, not as much, because we could stare at it, but it was really bright. And it was radiating, or emitting something, or pulsating. Like if it was boiling from inside.
It stayed like that, immobile, for 2-3 minutes. We were in shock and were wondering what it could be. We were almost hypnotized by it. It was so spectacular and weird.
We were seeing it towards south, at about 30 degrees above horizon. The distance is hard to tell, but we estimated between half a mile and quarter of a mile.
Then, a large droplet, it seemed like liquid fire, detached from it, and fell towards ground. We thought it should had fallen right into the river (riviere-du-lievre). Now, I think there was one or two other droplets. My brother remembers only one and no other droplets.
Then, the colour became more red, it started to shrink, and to vibrate, or like if it was spinning. And pouf ! It was gone. It disapeared.
I remember that when we said what we saw to my father, 2-3 hours later, he laugh at it and said we probably saw the "assumption", a religious catholic feast. And, young as I was, and to prove him it couldn't be that, I went to see the calander on the wall, and told him : see... the assumption is on the 15th of august, it can't be it. I don't remember the exact date we were on that day, but the 15 was a couple days latter.
Even after almost 50 years, my brother and I still remember this. I became an amateur astronomer after that. So, I know well the aspect of many celestial phenomenon. But this one is still a mystery.